Cousin Beth was in the WRAF and was based in Hong Cong when Kai Tak was the main airport. She used to say landing was the worst experience of her life as you landed into the city, if you over shot the run way the only place to go was straight into the sky scrapers, is it still like that?

That open cockpit reminds me of an Aer Lingus flight from Bristol to Dublin 5 years ago. Very much post 9/11 but the cockpit door was open the entire flight and for most of it there was a passenger leaning against the door jamb talking to the crew. The Irish have a very laisse fair attitude to security for humans but when we landed in Dublin we had to go through a decontamination so that Foot and Mouth,which was rampaging through the UK at the time, oouldn't get through to the Irish cows. I do love my Irish relatives their priorities are so weird.

But we had to make a steep climb to avoid hitting the mountains.Probably a new Airport then, certainly a new run way, but we are talking 1979-81. Kai Tak only had one runway, you flew into it with the city in front of you and out with it behind you and the sea in front.

The plane was full of the Irish going home for Easter, my cousins and I were the only non Irish on the plane. For all I know the door could have been broken and the lounger a security man but it was more than a little disconcerting considering the security measures at our departure.

Thanks for sharing - I am one of those people who may loveSxi Fi but would hate the reality - as I hate flyying. I get on the plane, open my book, switch on my music (James - of course) and pretend I am elsewhere!

I'm an old hand at air travel so it doesn't bother me much. But I do like having at least music on so that it blocks out the sounds of the plane. Don't like the earplugs they provide. They are good but it's disconcerting having no sound at all.